Monday, February 17, 2014

Sects Created by Teacher Worship

When I first heard the phrase in the Word "the priesthood of believers" I didn't know how God would expound on it's meaning for me during my life. I understood initially that it meant that we all were equal in His sight. While true, it has a much more in depth meaning than that. (I Pet. 2:9, Gal. 3:26-28, Rev. 1:6)
As He's come to increase my understanding, I am seeing that it also includes that we all have access to God, without any one person having more access than another in the Body of Christ, no matter who they are. We all have access to the same Holy Spirit, and we are encouraged to approach the throne of grace boldly. We, like the priests of old, bring prayers of intercession for others, and we entreat Him to seek guidance, and understanding of the truth in His Word, believing that He will answer us in His way and time.
He is our only Teacher in this aspect. Man followers only receive what others have said about His Word, and parrot it, even to the point of using the exact same phrases. In doing so, they forfeit the unique expression the Lord has given them. Worse than that, they allow, even if subconsciously, a ecclesiastical order to be established in their minds.
I am wondering if this belief, that some are more important or worthy to hear from God, stems from the gross error that was handed down to many of us from the Roman Church which demanded that "the laity submit to the Pope." It clearly drew lines between the "priesthood" that Jesus established.
But, the Word says that the Spirit would be the One who would "lead us into all truth." (John 16:13) He is the One who, when asked, reveals God's heart and mind to us according to His Word. Many do not know this, or even access Him in this way, because of the influence of the evil ecclesiastical system that has planted doubt, fear and insecurity in them, by teaching that some are indeed better equipped to hear from God, and to interpret the Scriptures, than others. This has been handed down through the centuries, and is even having an effect today in the form of man-followers, or "teacher worshippers."(Matt. 23:8) It seems many people, who could hear from God themselves, have picked their favorite "teacher of the Word" and follow whatever they say, or at least repeats it, without even checking it by the Spirit.
We, as members of His Body, have been given "ears to hear," but many are not using them, or don't even know they can. This is resulting in further division in the Body as many members gather around certain teachers and their teaching which all seem to contradict. If we each sought the Spirit, as our Teacher, He would lead us into all truth and we'd be going in the same direction, and would eventually end up in the same place of understanding.
You are a priest; I am a priest. Let us have no other god before Him, and worship at His feet together. And this too, you should ask God about.